Prey
by tracefan
Summary: I thought it would be a simple mission, to bring in a thief. Little did any of us realize just how deep it would go, or where it would lead. We thought we were the hunters in this game of chess. But we were wrong...chapter 8 up.
1. Prologue

Night had fallen, and the world drifted into a peaceful state of obliviousness, unaware of the grand plan that would shortly be enacted by the most unlikely of perpetrators.

The sky was blanketed with a clouded sheet of blackness, broken only by the twinkling stars. The city sidewalks were devoid of pedestrians, and the streets rumbled with the occasional car as late-night men and women returned to their homes or jobs. Streetlights lined the curbs, casting their beacon of light over the concrete.

The Rattata slowly emerged from the bushes, and dark eyes flicked up and down the sidewalk. Step by step, the rat Pokémon crept along the curb. When passing by the ring of light formed by an overhanging light, it was clear that it bore no particular qualities. The fur was glossy purple, like all members of the species. The fangs were well-developed, but seemingly no more than any other. The eyes shone with determination, but the species as a whole were scrappy.

What set this rodent apart from its brethren, however, was not something that could be seen. Visibly, she was as ordinary as they come, but her strength came from a simmering determination, and common skills utilized in the most unorthodox ways. Her mind was set on a destination ahead, specifically a rather unattractive museum building half a block down the road.

She ducked along an alleyway, slinking around a corner and gnawing through a chain link fence, forming a hole through which she could slip and invade the museum grounds. Signs warned against trespassing, but such deterrents meant nothing to her. Sneaking over the grass, she soon located the ventilation duct that would serve as her entry point.

Accessing the vent was a simple matter of loosening the screws attaching the front grate, and with her small paws, it was only a minute before she was inside, scampering through the duct, not even bothering to silence the pattering of her paws on the vent grating. Any humans that overheard were sure to dismiss the sound, or at worst call an exterminator at a later date. By that time, the Rattata would already be gone, as would something else considered to be of great value to them.

At the end of the duct was another grate. By peering through the slots of the vent, the Rattata could see the empty room within. Narrowing her eyes, she examined as much of the room as she could, paying special attention to the ceilings for signs of security cameras or other devices intended to hinder a thief. Finding nothing of great concern, she pressed her paws against the ventilation grate and pushed it open. It took a few good shoves to break it loose, but once managed it clicked open easily.

The Rattata then darted along the wall, leaving the vent open for her return. Ducking around a corner, she soon came into sight of the target room, indicated by a large glass case seated upon a small pedestal. Her eyes flitted around until they rested upon a small black camera positioned behind the case, too high for her to reach by ordinary means, and the device aimed at the case, but away from her position.

She snorted to herself. Silly humans, not even positioning their cameras right so as to spot someone entering. She slowly crept along the wall, staying out of range of the camera lens, and stopping only once she was directly beneath it. She judged the distance from her location to the case, and then up at the camera. A smirk tugged at her mouth, but she soon forced it away. This was going to be just too easy.

A moment's concentration was all it took to call upon the store of energy within her, and electricity began to build inside her, sparks popping off her purple fur, the static tugging at her fur. Then she released it, directing the flow directly upwards. Before the electricity had fully passed, she lunged forward and kicked off the ground with her strong legs, crawling up onto the pedestal, not even sparing the second to ensure her electricity had short-circuited the camera. Without a moment to spare, she clamped her powerful teeth around the corner of the glass case, and felt the case succumb to her fearsome bite. In moments, she pierced the defense, shattering the glass as easily as a pane of sugar.

Once the glass was broken, a blaring alarm went off, alerting everyone in the building that the defense had been breached. Thrusting a paw into the broken case, the Rattata snatched her prize and dove off the pedestal, already racing towards her exit as the thudding of human footsteps approached. She had barely enough time to dart around the corner and rocket into the ventilation duct, stopping only to shut the grate behind her, and then racing through the duct. She was counting on the alarms to muffle the sounds of her escape, and soon the blaring volume died down, becoming fainter in the background. She stopped at the end of the duct to catch her breath, dropping the pilfered item she had been clutching in her jaws.

It was a strange yellow-gold item, made from some sort of exotic metal, and shaped like a thunderbolt. To her eyes, it was nothing special, but there was a feeling she picked up from the stone, something she couldn't place and could not recall experiencing before.

She decided it didn't matter, and hastily reclaimed it with her jaws, racing out of the grate and running back towards her entry point. Unlike her arrival, she took a left upon leaving the grounds, and came to the end of the street. Potential alleyways, smelling delightful, marked the end of each block, but the rat Pokémon had a different destination in mind. Keeping her eyes on the street names, she soon stopped at one alley and slowly stepped within it.

Puddles of water glistened in the moonlight as she crept further down the alley, at last coming to what seemed to be a dead-end. She cast her dark eyes skywards, and saw the silhouette of a bird Pokémon, whose unblinking eyes were upon her. With a smirk, the Rattata dropped the stolen medallion. The bird blinked once and then let out a piercing call and took to the air.

Footsteps sounded behind her, and as she turned, the shadows seemed to take form until a bipedal silhouette stood before her, a cape of some sort fluttering behind it. Another step and the figure's features became apparent. Dark fur covered its body, and a blood-red feather, the same color as the figure's eyes, adorned its weasel head. Sharp claws glinted at the end of each paw, and the Sneasel wore a triumphant smile.

"RR, was it?" the Sneasel whispered, and the Rattata frowned.

"It's not pronounced 'Ar-Ar'," she muttered, but didn't elaborate. It was a common mistake, too common for her tastes. "I have what you sent me for. Now pay up," she insisted, kicking the thunderbolt medallion at the Sneasel's feet. The dark weasel stepped on the medallion to cease its motion, and his red eyes glinted.

"Well done," he breathed, reaching towards his waist where a small bag lay. With a casual flick of his claws, he severed the string and let the bag strike the ground with a melodious jingle, assuring the Rattata of many coins inside. "I may call upon your services in the future, RR," he said, using his foot to kick the medallion into the air and seizing it dramatically with his paw. In a similar motion, the bag of coins was kicked to the Rattata's feet. "Have a safe night," he said, turning.

As she looked down to seize her prize, the time that passed was enough for the Sneasel to vanish from the alley completely. This didn't bother her in the slightest, as she clutched the bag in her jaws and darted down the alley into the night.


	2. Dawn of the Next Day

He stood before me, his arms crossed in smug defiance. His mouth was curved into an amused smirk, and his crimson eyes stared into my own eyes. The cape draped around his shoulders billowed around him as if blown by an invisible wind. I was tired, but my body refused to quit now. I had come this far, and I was going to finish this mission once and for all.

"End of the line, Rafael," I said, my voice filled with the dramatic bravado I had waited so long to use. The flames on my back crackled to punctuate my words, adding force where the mere words weren't enough. The Sneasel chuckled in good humor, his eyes glinting.

"For you and you alone, Prima," he said. I growled at the use of my birth name and his smirk widened. Damn it, I had already let him get beneath my skin. However, this fight wouldn't end the way he thought it would. This time, I was going to win and make him pay for his crimes. I had been looking forward to this moment.

Rafael laughed and gestured with his claws, making a 'come on' gesture while simultaneously taking on an offensive stance. I took a stance of my own, keeping my center of gravity lower to the ground and tensing my legs to propel myself in one direction at a moment's notice. This detail did not escape the Sneasel's sharp gaze, and within seconds he had leapt into the air, performing a full front flip before landing to my left. I pivoted as quickly as possible, trying to anticipate where he would land, but the moment he touched the ground, I felt a searing pain across my cheek and flecks of blood flew from my face, dripping onto the tiled floor.

The Sneasel ducked back as I bit at him, my adrenaline pumping and filling me with energy. I had come too far to be beaten by the Sneasel, and now was the time to end this fight. I inhaled, feeling the heat collect in my body, the flames on my head flaring up a moment before I blew out a stream of fire towards Rafael. His eyes widened in surprise, his mouth dropping open slightly as the rush of flames engulfed him. His scream of rage echoed around me and-

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

I was jolted awake, cursing in anger as reality sank in as hard as if I had been punched. I wasn't within the bowels of Rafael's hideout, going head to head with the Sneasel. It had all been a dream, a fantasy of sleep. I glared at the offending alarm clock, willing it to go silent of its own accord, but the beeping persisted until I slammed my paw down on the top of the device.

Stupid dream, getting my hopes up like that. Ugh, of all the things I had to dream about tonight, it had to be about that infuriating Sneasel. I looked around my den, seeing everything more or less as I had left it the night before. The battery operated alarm clock sat beside my 'nest', the glowing numbers indicating that it was just past dawn. The den was rather cozy and cave-like, so at this time the only light was coming from my flames. I wouldn't have minded a den that faced the sunrise, since it would save me a trip outside, but what the hell. I got up and went outside, stifling a yawn and scowling at the sky.

No, I couldn't even enjoy the beauty of the sunrise, not with Rafael on my mind again. I had been hunting him down for days and days, and every time I got close, he slipped from my paws without a trace. I swear he's got to be mocking me. One of these days I'd get him and I can't wait to see the defeated expression upon his smug face.

"Morning, Prime!" a voice spoke from just behind me, and I was tackled to the ground before I could even register what was happening. Of course, there was only one person idiotic enough to tackle a Quilava from behind, so it didn't take me long to identify my playful assailant. The claws digging partly into my flesh were another giveaway.

"Metria," I grunted irritably, not daring to move out of fear of getting a tighter hug. "Get off me."

"I said good morning!" the clinging Ninjask complained.

"Good morning," I replied stiffly, doing everything in my power to keep from burning the insect with my fire. "Now get off." I breathed a sigh of relief when the pressure from her claws lifted from me. "One of these days I'm going to set you on fire," I sighed.

"No you won't," the insect chirped cutely, flying in a low orbit around my body. "You like me too much."

I couldn't hide my smile that time. "I meant by accident."

"Phaze will protect me," Metria said, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world. As if on cue, a second insect appeared literally out of thin air directly in front of me, with such abruptness and proximity that I took a pace backwards. Unlike the lively brown-gold Pokémon, this one was a pale, lifeless shade of brown with absolutely no movement within its body. Whereas the Ninjask had wings, this one lacked them, except for immobile shreds in the back that had the general shape of a wingspan. The most notable feature was the shining white crescent halo hovering above its head.

I sighed, forcing myself to make the statement I had made many times before, which was perfectly true but tended to get ignored. "Phaze isn't immune to fire, Metria."

"So?" Metria wondered, all but cuddling with the Shedinja. "She's such a good shield, always looking out for me..." I swear, if Phaze could roll her eyes, she would have.

I cleared my throat. "Did you have a reason for ambushing me at dawn?"

"That's the time you get up," Metria pointed out, flying circles around her Shedinja. Phaze didn't react, but I knew she was paying attention.

I stretched and stifled a yawn. "But did you have a _reason_ for it?"

"Um...oh right! Ridley told me to tell you that he heard from Basil that Jeff told him that Colin was robbed," Metria said, speaking way too quickly for everything to sink in. I stared at her. Half those names I didn't even know who they were. In fact, there was only one name I did recognize.

"Ridley said what?"

"Ridley told me to tell you that he heard from-"

"Please don't repeat it verbatim," I grunted. It was way too early in the morning for this. Normally I had the luxury of the Ninjask sleeping in, or at least not visiting me so soon. "What's the point?"

Metria whined a little. "I don't know! I only know everything I'm supposed to tell you, I'm just the messenger!"

I rubbed my forehead with a paw. "Where is Ridley?" I could at least get a straight answer from him. Why hadn't he come directly to me, for that matter, if he somehow managed to locate and discuss the situation with Metria, of all Pokémon?

The Ninjask hesitated. Not a good sign. "Um..." she faltered and looked at Phaze hopefully. The Shedinja didn't react, so the living insect darted closer and began whispering urgently. My eye twitched. Finally, after what felt like an hour, Metria turned back to me. "I have no idea."

_"Ecruteak City,"_ Phaze supplied. It was not truly telepathy, but there was something ethereal about the Shedinja's tone. Metria's eyes lit up and she almost squealed.

"That's it! Thanks, Phaze! You're so attentive!" Cue the excitable insect nuzzling the ghostly shell, oblivious to how incredibly awkward I felt, being unwilling to interrupt, but having another question to ask.

"Why is he there?"

"Because he told me to tell you that Basil told-"

"Never mind, I'm going," I grumbled, setting off down the path leading away from my den. Metria followed me, 'followed' being the loosest meaning of the word, since at any given point, she was at a different position relating to me. She has this tendency to orbit someone by flying in an elongated circle around them, and adjusting her flight path for that person's movements. It was incredibly distracting, but in a cute way.

Thankfully, my den wasn't _too_ far away from Ecruteak City. The nice thing about Johto to my experience was that the critical cities were all within a reasonable distance of each other, and my den was located between Ecruteak and Goldenrod, each of which opened up avenues to even more important cities.

"So Prime," Metria began, speaking for the first time since we had left. "Who do you think robbed Colin?"

"What?"

"I already explained this! Ridley told me to tell you that-"

"Metria?" I interrupted.

"Yes, Prime?"

"Don't do this to me. Now pack up your security Shedinja and let's find Ridley," I said, walking into the city. It was a rather quiet city, despite serving as a major tourist attraction due to the remnants of two towers making up the city landscape. Legends state they were once the roosting spots for some legendary Pokémon long ago, but those stories had long since descended into pure myth. The sunrise was really beautiful when viewed behind the tower landscape, but dawn had passed.

Very few humans were out and about at this time, and that suited me just fine. Less distractions and more room to focus on my search. Ridley should stick out like the silver metal avian he is.

"Found it!" Metria chirped. I turned to see what she was looking at, and my eyes narrowed into a glare when I saw she was just eyeing a honeycomb hanging in a vendor's stand. In a blur of motion, the Ninjask seized it with her claws and knocked it down. With a triumphant buzz, she descended upon the fallen honeycomb and clamped her claws upon it before suckling the honey from it with her mouth. Phaze hovered around her like a ghostly sentry, wary of threats to her Ninjask.

Rolling my eyes, I pressed on without waiting for them. It didn't take me long to find Ridley. He was fairly small for his species, but nevertheless imposing. His body was almost completely covered in a hard steel armor, and only the lower halves of his wings were colored red. His head looked vaguely draconic, with sharp teeth hidden within the lower jaw. The Skarmory turned towards me as I approached, and he smirked.

"Good morning, Prime, my girl. I guess Metria gave you the message," he said, gesturing a wing to the building behind him. Through the open doorway, I could see human police officers speaking with what I assumed was the owner. "Late-night robbery, from the looks of it. Didn't get anything too special, at least from what I heard. Just some one-of-a-kind priceless medallion shaped like a thunderbolt. Ah, a mere human trinket."

I scowled. "So it's not related to Rafael?"

Ridley scoffed. "Right, Rafael. A common thief is more likely than him, okay? Sounds like a mission up your alley. Something to get your mind off him."

"Is that why you wanted me here?" I asked, twitching. "I can tangle with real criminals, too. I can fight with the best of the best. I can beat-"

"Easy there, la Prima Alpha," Ridley chuckled, looking at me with great amusement. "Common doesn't mean easy."

"Yes, it does," I argued, my flames blazing up. "If they were a major underworld figure, clues wouldn't exist! It's someone weak, cowardly, and stupid. Why should I waste my time on-?"

Ridley silenced me with a chilling smirk. "Because you love being the hunter."


	3. Beginning Investigation

"So where do I start?" I asked Ridley, betraying my impatience. The Skarmory chuckled quietly, having led me into the building a few moments ago. The police officers and the other human did nothing to hinder our entry, but then again, Ridley was well-known to be associated with police activities. As for myself, well, I wasn't exactly a stranger, either.

"Prime, my girl, I couldn't fathom myself telling you how to do your job," Ridley answered. His steel body moved down a side hallway with surprising grace. "The room this trinket was kept in was down this hall. It was only a matter of time before it would have been moved to a different, likely more secure location, according to the owner himself."

I grunted. I rarely ever found myself caring about the exact details regarding a stolen object's backstory. It was usually generic information that was intended to cloud the reasons something wasn't kept more secure. "What kind of security had been in place?"

"Security camera, motion sensor, glass case, and security guard walking around the building. Oh, and alarms in the case itself. Whoever swiped it set off the alarm, but by the time the guard had investigated, there was no sign of the intruder," Ridley answered, and we emerged in a room where a shattered glass case stood upon a stand. From the corner of my eye, I saw a security camera pointed towards the case.

I frowned and gazed around the room, scanning for any telltale signs of the method the thief had chosen to perform the act. If I could just tie something here to a known criminal profile, I could start work now, and even if I didn't catch the one in question, I could still get a lead on someone more important, and leave this one to the regular police.

"The camera caught nothing, I assume?"

Ridley chuckled. "Prime, if they had something on camera, it would hardly be a mystery."

"I'm not a detective," I muttered, walking over to the case and circling it, stepping carefully over the shards of broken glass. "What do they have on the camera?"

Ridley shrugged his wings. "Search me. I don't have the tapes."

I didn't answer, too busy inspecting the damage of the case itself. The break was positioned in an odd place, specifically the corner. This was actually a pretty vital detail that already had me thinking of the situation. Whatever had done this damage had probably not used blunt force, as a punch or use of a tool would have been far more effective if delivered to the flat wall of the case, rather than a corner as was seen here.

"Hey Ridley, look at this," I said, gesturing to the damage spot. "Isn't it weird it was smashed here? Like something clamped onto the corner and shattered through, like teeth or something."

Ridley examined the case. "Or pinchers," he added, straightening after a few seconds. I frowned thoughtfully. Not too many Pokémon had pinchers, and the ones that immediately came to mind were unlike species, like Krabby. Either way, the clues just weren't enough to place beside a criminal profile. I had spent quite a bit of time tracking down such villains in the past, and I didn't recall any recent outbreaks of activity.

Finally, I sighed and turned away, starting to walk back down the hall. "No good, this isn't my usual field. It's nothing more than a way to collect frustration that I don't need. I'm not a detective and I'm not a cop. You're supposed to call me when you actually have something for me to go off of."

"Prime, hang on a minute," Ridley urged, following me to the door. Only once I had stepped outside did I turn on my heel and face him. "Look, I know it's not your usual mission, but come on, we can't always give you a name and species and send you on your way. Sometimes you need to do more field work."

"Ridley, I have a name and species to track down. His name's Rafael and he's a caped Sneasel," I growled. "That's more than enough on my plate without halting everything to look for some nobody thief that we don't even know a lick about."

Ridley sighed. "Girl, you need to look at the bigger picture sometimes. Someone somehow got into this building at night without alerting security, broke a case, sabotaged a security camera and got away with something reportedly valuable."

"Ridley, a common Rattata could do that by crawling through the ventilation ducts," I scoffed. "That doesn't make the thief a priority."

"I think it's a chance for you to focus on something other than Rafael," Ridley insisted.

"Then I will! Once you tell me who the hell I'm searching for!" I snapped. "I'm not going to waste my time and effort on some juvenile thief when I have much bigger problems to-"

"Don't be mad, Prime," Metria whined, buzzing into my personal space and cuddling against my cheek. I blinked, recoiled a pace and stared at the Ninjask, so startled by her appearance that I lost my train of thought. "Your blood pressure's been so good lately..." Metria pointed out.

"Uh...yeah, thanks," I muttered, patting the Ninjask with a paw. If there was one person in the world I could depend on to keep me calm when stressed, it was Metria. The exact opposite was true whenever I wasn't stressed, as if there was a default value of stress that she was obsessed with regulating. Anything above had to be lowered, and anything below had to be raised.

"So who we hunting?" Metria asked eagerly. My expression must have darkened because she flinched. Phaze abruptly materialized between me and the Ninjask, shielding the insect with her ghostly form. Personally, I usually took that as a sign that something was ticking me off pretty badly, if Phaze considered me a threat. She was usually pretty lenient towards me.

I sighed and turned from Ridley. "I'll see what I can do," I muttered, and set off towards the outskirts of the city. I didn't have anything to work off of, and I thought the whole thing was a massive waste of time. How was I supposed to find some mediocre thief that had probably never surfaced before now, without any real clues to go off of? I wasn't some big shot detective; I was a hunter.

Metria kept me company on my walk, cheerfully musing about the weather and whether it was going to rain later, based on the cloud formations. I only half-listened, my mind more focused on the task at hand. Some people may be content with staring over the scene of the crime for hours, comparing notes and inspecting every little thing. Sometimes finding answers wasn't about missing the little things. Whoever had smashed that display case must have known it was alarm rigged, and even if it wasn't, the sound of glass breaking was sure to draw attention. To me, that was an indication that whoever had done it was stupid, desperate, or confident in its ability to escape. Seeing as the thief had escaped only solidified the evidence towards the latter.

"Hey, Metria?" I asked, looking up at the Ninjask.

"Yes, Prime?"

"Thieves usually strike more than once, don't they?"

"Not always," Metria answered. "If I got something good enough the first time, I wouldn't do it again, unless it was lots of fun."

"Don't make me do a background check on you again," I warned. Metria giggled nervously and fell silent, giving me something new to think about. Common thieves were repulsive and pathetic, but for larger heists, that usually required a lot of skill and planning, and most thieves didn't go for something like that unless they were egotistical or confident they could find someone to pawn the loot over to for a price that would make the risk worthwhile.

But where to start?

"Metria?"

"Yes, Prime?" the Ninjask chirped promptly, as if my earlier statement about background checks no longer held any relevance. Now there was a girl who couldn't hold a grudge if her life depended on it.

"Mew only knows why I'm asking you, but where is the nearest underworld drinking establishment?"

Metria giggled. "A bad bar? Shouldn't you be on top of that sort of thing?"

I scowled. "No, they move around every so often specifically so girls like me can't find them. Forget it; it's a stupid lead anyway." I turned and stared at a rock nearby. The rock isn't important; it's just something bland to look at so I don't get distracted when I think. My problem probably stemmed from the fact I was desperate to think of this thief as someone above a mere petty thief, and someone worth my effort. After all, if it was just some pathetic thief, then it was a job for the regular police, and they'd probably get nabbed doing another heist. If not caught, then at least more clues would surface and that would lead the police in the right direction.

Metria was pleasantly quiet as I mulled things over. My stomach interrupted my thoughts with a slight rumbling, reminding me that things were easier to focus on when I wasn't hungry. The Ninjask giggled a little at the sound, but didn't say anything. I allowed a frown to cross my face and without a word changed my course towards the forest on the outskirts of Ecruteak. It was only a small forest, but I was sure to find suitable prey there.

"A hunting we a go," Metria sang, "A hunting we a go!"

"Hey Metria, just a word of advice," I said, stopping and shooting her an annoyed look. "When you're hunting, try not to announce your intentions to the whole forest!"

"Oh...right," the Ninjask mumbled. I rolled my eyes. She was a hunter herself more often than not, and should know better. Whatever, I doubt she'd let me hunt without escorting me, especially if escorting me gave her a shot at my leftovers. "Tasty looking Sentret," she said suddenly, orbiting my head excitedly, her gaze fixed upon a small brown Pokémon standing a good twenty yards from where I was standing.

"Take it, I don't like those," I grunted, changing course and wandering down a different line of trees. Leave it to Metria to be a backseat hunter. I just wanted a bite or two so I could get back to work on the stupid case Ridley had given me. I shook myself. Now wasn't the time to get riled up over nothing, and I know it's nothing because I'm almost positive the thief is a nobody.

Several minutes and a short meal of a Pidgey later, I found myself with renewed concentration, enough to focus on my new task. A forest was usually a good hideout for those up to no good, so I'd start in the forest, simultaneously giving me a reason to justify being in the forest. I've been here once or twice in the past, most often than on a hunting trip while commuting between jobs, and before now I hadn't considered the gold mine of information one could dig up from the forest dwellers. Living on the outskirts of a human city usually meant that groups, families, or small clans had designated scouts to make sure that humans weren't planning on invading their homes for profit, so these Pokémon tended to have enough knowledge of human happenings to serve as a source.

It was possible that I was being too optimistic, but hell, I have to start somewhere. What would really suck is if the Pidgey I had killed for food had been one of the more knowledgeable Pokémon in the area. Bird Pokémon always did like to sneak that one past me.

Field work is such a drag.


	4. Field Work

"Excuse me," I said, stopping before a sleek tan and brown Pokémon. It looked up at me, easily determined to be a Furret, the evolved form of the Sentret Metria had noticed before. I silently prayed that this one wasn't related because that could get uncomfortable if the topic somehow came up. "I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions."

"What kind of questions?" the Furret wondered, looking at me with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. Its body had also tensed, preparing to flee. To put it more at ease, I sat down and focused on reducing my flames to a light simmer, so as to appear less threatening.

"Well, first off do you ever notice any events happening at that human city?" I asked, gesturing vaguely in the direction I knew Ecruteak to be from our present location. The Furret gave a slight shrug and cocked its head curiously. "Well, a definite answer would really move things along," I said impatiently.

The Furret nodded reluctantly. "Now and then I hear things."

"Anything really recent? Like the past day or so?" I pressed. No reason to reveal precisely what I was looking for if it didn't apply to this Pokémon's knowledge. The Furret shrugged again. "This isn't a difficult question, miss. I'm just trying to figure out whether you have any information I need."

The Furret frowned. "No, not that recent."

"Do you know anyone who might know information about extremely recent happenings and if so, may I know who that person is?"

The Furret shook her head. "I'm sorry, no; I don't know anyone who keeps track. Excuse me, I have to go now." She started to slink away. I considered stopping her, but changed my mind. Fine, so she didn't know anything and even if she did, she wasn't going to discuss it. That was the fifth Pokémon in the last half hour that wasn't able to help me. What I would give for Metria to come back so I could ask her to question the bug Pokémon of the forest, many of which I had noted were very reluctant to linger in the presence of a girl who had active flames on her body.

Maybe looking for information here wasn't the best way to go. The theft had occurred late last night, and while a forest had initially seemed like a good place for the perpetrator to hide, I was quickly growing to doubt it. There were probably better leads to pursue, maybe back in the city, or maybe somewhere else. I'd just have to accept that this mission, however trite, had to go by an entirely different method than I was used to. This wasn't just a matter of being given a name, species, and some background data and then being set loose to find their trail. This was doing all the work from the ground up, and the most aggravating factor was not the lack of information, but the lack of significance I felt it had.

Seriously, if it weren't for the fact Ridley had specifically asked me to take the mission, I wouldn't be bothering with it at all. This should be a simple case, and I couldn't imagine it taking me long once I got on the trail. So I kept walking, keeping my eyes peeled for other Pokémon that could maybe offer me a clue or two. My hopes weren't high, but it was on my way back to the city. Maybe Ridley and the human police had found something else for me to use.

My sense of direction may have been slightly off, however, because in the minutes that passed, I found myself venturing into denser areas of the forest, as opposed to exiting. How did I realize how badly off-track I was? Well, for starters, I stepped in something sticky, which jolted my attention back to my surroundings. At my feet was a white sticky fluid, like spider webbing, only not all over the damn place. Also sunlight was no longer streaming in from overhead, meaning my fire was the only real source of lighting.

I tugged my foot free and wiped it on the grass, feeling mildly nauseated at the sensation of it clinging to my foot. My eyes quickly scanned the surroundings, knowing that such fresh webbing or whatever was a strong indicator that I was not entirely alone. My ears twitched, hoping to catch the telltale signs of something planning to ambush me. A minute passed in perfect silence before I chanced a step further into the area, keeping an eye out for other puddles of the webbing.

"Hey! Intruder! Halt!" a sudden voice shouted out. I jumped, pivoting in a circle before I was satisfied that something wasn't right on top of me.

"Yeah?" I called, searching for the source. I had the general direction down, but that wasn't enough to satisfy me. I didn't recognize the speaker, although I classified the voice as that of a female.

"Identify yourself immediately," the voice commanded. I tensed, not liking my inability to see the speaker. If I was about to be attacked, I liked to have body language to steer me to that conclusion.

"Where are you?" I demanded.

"Identify yourself or suffer the consequences," the voice insisted, maintaining the same level of command and power. I hesitated. Consequences were vague enough to mean anything, but surely whoever was making these warnings had contact with someone who could know more about the forest than I did. It would be unwise to get on its bad side, and yet...

"Prime," I said bluntly.

"Further identification is required. I can see your species, but your purpose and occupation must be reported."

I stared around in bewilderment. "I beg your pardon? Occupation?"

"Of course. A creature of fire entering my territory so boldly cannot be here by accident. I'd give examples of frequent occupations, but why aid your alibi?"

I growled a little. "It could be an accident," I pointed out.

"It's not. Now complete the identification process."

I twitched, but forced myself to appear at ease. "My name's Prime. I'm looking for information on someone who may be taking shelter in the forest."

"Occupation?" the voice challenged.

I growled at the tone, again forcing myself to relax before answering, "I don't have an occupation." Sure, I was lying through my teeth, but she couldn't know that. "Now where the hell are you?"

There was a quiet titter, sounding somewhat amused. There was no verbal response, but my eyes suddenly caught a flicker of movement. Turning towards it, the light of my flames fell upon a small brown worm Pokémon with a noticeable poison stinger on its head, and a sizeable nose. I stared at it for a long time, not sure whether to laugh or not. Seriously, a Weedle had been threatening me and ordering me around moments ago?

"So uh...you're a Weedle?" I asked, half-hoping that it was just a coincidence. However, the Weedle nodded its head, and when it spoke, it was in the same voice I had been hearing before.

"Indeed, how perceptive of you," it said, watching me carefully. I took a step nearer, but it suddenly reared its body warningly. "Ah-ah-ah...you have active flames. Not a step closer if you value your health."

"What?"

The Weedle tittered. "My guards don't take kindly to dangers. Take another step and they aim to kill."

"Guards, huh?" I repeated skeptically, my eyes scanning the nearby trees. Nothing was in view, so I couldn't be sure whether the Weedle was bluffing. In any case, I just wanted to get some information, and the conversation thus far had not been promising.

"Of course," the Weedle said, her tone laced with pride. "Don't you know who I am?"

"No, but a name might help me get a clue," I replied dryly. She was the one who refused to identify herself before I had done so.

The Weedle tittered. "I am Cerebes, the future queen of my hive."

"Yet you wander around the wild? Safe," I retorted.

The Weedle's smirk didn't falter a bit. "I have guards, remember? Or maybe you didn't, I can never be sure with you...foreigners," she said, the last word said with delicate contempt, as if the very word itself was stained with mud.

"So are you 'in the know' about events around here? I may have mentioned looking for someone and-"

"Why are you looking for someone?" Cerebes interrupted. I hesitated. Now that was going to be a tough one to explain. I hadn't given enough time to think this through, and since I didn't even know what species or gender I was looking for, I couldn't give more information to narrow down a list without arousing suspicion. I could say it was a friend or a friend of a friend, but I simply had no information to provide.

"Stole something from me," I answered finally.

Cerebes blinked. "Stole what?"

"Just something valuable!" I snapped. "I was in the city last night and that thing swiped it and fled. I think it came to the forest, but I don't know for sure. I'm just trying to find them and get it back. Have you seen anything or know anything?"

"Don't take that tone with me," the Weedle warned angrily. "If you want my help, or to even tread upon my territory without being marked as an intruder, you would be wise not to antagonize me." She looked me over dismissively, and then shook her head. "Forget it. Leave my territory now."

"What?"

"I told you to leave," Cerebes said firmly. "And you will do so without another word or complaint." On that cue, a striped yellow bee Pokémon with its forelegs ending in truly wicked stingers emerged from the cover of a tree, buzzing loudly enough to attract attention and making me wonder how it had ever evaded notice before. The Weedle smirked up at its evolved form, and then focused upon me. "Leave now."

I backpedaled quickly, watching the Beedrill warily. "Okay, okay, I'm going..." I muttered. The Beedrill hovered nearby like an oppressive menace, its stingers poised to strike should I make even the slightest wrong move. Slowly, I turned around and began walking away, glancing over my shoulder to ensure I wasn't opening myself up to a sneak attack.

The Beedrill continued to follow me, darting around in an odd pattern, all while jabbing its forelegs at me to force me to increase my pace whenever it grew impatient. Only once I was well away from the location did it stop stalking me, and instead did an about face and flew back towards its mistress. I stared after it, then immediately ran after it, using the pads of my paws to muffle my steps over the grass. Something about that territory and the Weedle just felt off, and I had no better leads. She was just too paranoid and evasive to simply be a bystander. She had known about Pokémon holding investigative occupations, and while she hadn't challenged my lie, I had gotten the vibe she didn't believe me.

To charge directly into the territory again would have been stupid, and despite what some people believed, I was no idiot. Instead, I took a more roundabout path, circling around the perimeter of the small clearing I had encountered the Weedle queen in, slipping easily between trees until I was beyond that clearing. Then, I turned to the left and took a straight path. If my calculations were correct, I'd eventually emerge behind the Weedle's position, assuming she hadn't moved much since I had left. Being a Weedle, I doubted Cerebes had gone far.

If I could just get the drop on that bug, my interrogation could work out differently…I just hope this wasn't going to be treated as an invasion or political nightmare. Come to think of it, this might end up being one of the stupidest things I've ever gotten myself into. I'll be kicking myself if this doesn't pay off in the end.


	5. Involving the Hive

Cerebes watched her Beedrill guard drive the Quilava away. Only after they were out of sight did she turn and patter back over the grass towards the hive that made up her world. She had no tolerance for impatient and rude visitors, and found it far easier to just sic a guard on anyone who annoyed her, rather than bother with diplomacy. This was her territory, and her territory meant she made and enforced the rules.

Something about that fire weasel had bothered her, but she couldn't precisely put her foot on it. For starters, she had the gall to barge into _her_ territory and demand answers to questions without first answering Cerebes'. The Weedle hated people like that; individuals so arrogant they felt themselves above the orders and inquiries of the forest queen-to-be.

She tittered slightly, the sound a mixture of amusement and anger. The Quilava had called herself Prime, which was not a name she was really familiar with. It was possible that the fire weasel had been a resident of that mild human city, and her intentions really were nothing more than tracking down a thief of some kind, but even if Cerebes knew about the thief, she was not going to appease some foreigner who didn't even have the good manners to be respectful to her.

A light buzzing from behind her assured her that her Beedrill guard had returned, and while she said nothing to acknowledge it, she knew the Beedrill was proud of itself. All her guards and subjects adored her, and why shouldn't they? She was stern at times, but fair, and definitely deserving of their unending respect and adoration. Her hive was not a mess of political chaos that threatened so many other organizations or clans. In those places, everyone was willing to backstab and kill to get power, but in this hive, even a Weedle, descended from the former hive queen, could command other insects.

Things had been looking up ever since Cerebes had insisted on unifying the forest bug-types under one rule. Petty squabbles would no longer drive them all apart as they once had. Beedrill and Butterfree no longer competed for territory. This had been the reason many forests had either Weedle or Caterpie, and rarely both. Overcoming the species block had been one success ever since she had taken command of the hive. Rivalries were put to rest and the entire bug population had been better off because of it.

In truth, her 'hive' was not a literal hive at all. She just had taken a liking to the term when she was growing up, and few other words held the same dignity. 'Territory' was too general, and 'kingdom' was trying too hard to sound important. 'Clan' had so many negative connotations she had dismissed the notion outright. Clans were overbearing societies ruled by emotionless bastards with no flexibility in regards to rules. Not only did 'queen' have an air of power attached, but it spat in the face of chauvinistic ideals, dictating strong men dominating over all others. No self-respecting male would consent to the title 'queen' and there were no 'kings', just 'mates of the queen'. Lastly, a single ruler was all an insect society needed to maintain order.

Cerebes' role wasn't to run the hive. It was to tell everyone else how to run the hive.

"Excuse me, my lady," a timid voice spoke. Cerebes paused and looked to her left, spotting the timid Paras immediately. She sighed internally, resigning herself to what was rapidly becoming an obligatory correction.

"No title, just Cerebes," the Weedle said. The other bug hesitated, and Cerebes already knew it wouldn't comply. Any member of the hive trying to win her favor had the tendency to show a wearisome amount of respect. She may be important, but only foreigners had to be presented with the illusion that she was approaching goddess-level. It amused her to see some of the bugs tripping over themselves to not act too casual (and definitely not to give the impression they were sucking up), but some of them overdid it. This Paras was a perfect example. Being naturally shy did not do the mushroom-carrying bug any favors when addressing Cerebes, and it already tended to act as if the Weedle was likely to order death upon anyone who didn't kiss the ground she walked upon.

"Oh, of course, my lady Cerebes," the Paras muttered. The Weedle chose not to point out that the Paras had mispronounced her name in its nervous state. "Your appointment has arrived," the Paras said hastily. Cerebes blinked.

"Appointment?" she wondered aloud. "I didn't have an appointment, did I?" The Paras trembled, something Cerebes couldn't ignore. She didn't want the hive to fear her. Fear was not respectful, and it was just annoying to communicate with someone who cowered whenever she spoke. "Relax, sheesh. Who is it?"

"Says he comes on behalf of a mutual friend," the Paras said uncertainly.

"X-L, got it. Always an enigma even when talking straight," Cerebes grunted. "Tell him I'll see him tomorrow."

"He came today..."

"I know he came today," Cerebes snapped. "Tell him I'll see him tomorrow. I'm busy with other things today. If he can't accept my schedule being backed up, well, then he should have called ahead."

The Paras gulped audibly. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry, my lady." With that, it scampered away. Cerebes watched him go and shook her head. It was so annoying when anyone stopped by the hive with diplomatic intentions. She wasn't at war with anyone and she didn't need chaos or conflicts in her territory. If someone needed to resolve something with her, they should have the decency to come themselves, not send their stupid diplomats. What did they take her for? She wasn't the one too scared to leave her little hidey-hole, like some diplomat-sending individual that would remain nameless. Even as queen-to-be, she boldly wandered her territory, something that the suspicious Quilava had taken notice of.

On the subject of the Quilava...

"Hey, Margarine?" Cerebes called. One of her guards, a Butterfree to be exact, flew into view. Cerebes always appreciated that of all the skills a majority of her guards possessed, the most common ability was being able to blend so thoroughly with their environment to the point of invisibility. It made for excellent ambushes or surprise appearances, and gave her something to wonder about when she had trouble sleeping.

"Yes, madam?" Margarine wondered.

"The Quilava followed us, didn't she?"

Margarine stiffened, fearing the worst. The thought of being pursued by the fire type had clearly not occurred to her, but she couldn't admit that oversight to Cerebes' face. The Weedle merely smirked, displaying no outward signs of anger or disapproval, although this did not ease Margarine's concerns.

"Should I verify?" the Butterfree asked timidly.

"No," Cerebes replied, heaving an overdramatic sigh and pivoting to face the direction she had come from, her tone becoming noticeably cooler. "Show yourself, I know you're there," she demanded. Silence. Margarine cast the Weedle a nervous glance, spurred by Cerebes' wide smile. "I'm not bluffing, Prime. I really do know you're there."

There was a pattering of feet, and the aforementioned fire weasel came into view, her flames crackling a little as she watched Cerebes with wary eyes. Cerebes tittered. That had been a total shot in the dark; she had no way of knowing the Quilava had been within earshot. It confirmed her suspicions the Quilava had followed her, however.

"Back again?" Cerebes hissed. "You're blatantly intruding now." Prime didn't answer, and the Weedle frowned, dropping the anger act. "Okay, clearly you're not taking no for an answer. What do you want?"

"I already told you," Prime answered impatiently. "Just tell me what you know."

"Mind your tongue, foreigner," Cerebes snapped. "You can't talk to me like that."

Prime didn't flinch, but her voice was edged with annoyance. "I just did."

"This is how you ask for favors? Through disrespect and hostility?" Cerebes snorted. "Even after I didn't order your immediate incapacitation or death, you continue to be an impudent..." she paused and looked up at Margarine. "Aren't you supposed to be out of sight until I sic you on someone?"

"It's not in my contract," Margarine replied without missing a beat. Cerebes rolled her eyes. "Oh, am I hampering you from cursing comfortably?" If there was one thing that could be said for the Butterfree, it was that she knew Cerebes better than almost anyone else.

"You think?" Cerebes grumbled, but focused upon the Quilava. "Show me the proper respect, or get the...heck out...seriously, Margarine, do a disappearing act or something."

"And miss watching you struggle with your wording?" Margarine replied sweetly. Cerebes gave her a withering look in response, and the Butterfree obliged by backing away, disappearing into the cover of leaves in the tree branches.

Prime scowled. "Why don't you stop being so difficult? If you know something, just tell me and I'll get out of your fur."

"You don't make demands in my territory!" Cerebes practically shrieked, losing her cool for a moment. The shroud of confidence rapidly replaced the anger, but the worm was still shaking slightly. "I commend you for ticking me off, foreigner," she said, all the contempt racing back into her voice.

"What do you know?" Prime pressed. The Weedle tittered in amusement and took a few steps forward, showing not an ounce of fear towards the Quilava. The demeanor of utmost confidence drew a look of suspicion from the intruding fire type. "Well?" she growled.

"So let me get this straight," Cerebes said coolly. "You were mugged in a human city on the outskirts of my territory. You don't know who the thief was, where he went, or what species he is. You won't identify what was taken, and you're willing to face the wrath of the future queen of a Bug Pokémon hive just to demand clues from her?"

Cerebes tittered again and tilted her head to the side as Prime scowled. "Sounds close," she admitted.

The Weedle shook her head. "How stupid are you? There are hundreds of thieves in this world. Some go to human cities, and some take refuge in the forest. You can rest assured that I had nothing to do with this little robbery, so if you don't like my answer, grow up and stop harassing me. Otherwise, I'll be forced to have you removed."

"It's not stupidity," Prime insisted. "It's determination. I need to get it back."

Cerebes rolled her eyes. "What kind of Pokémon actually wants to keep valuable objects?" she asked rhetorically. "Some kind of packrat?"

"How should I...?" Prime suddenly stopped, something dawning in her eyes. "A pack...rat," she murmured thoughtfully. Cerebes cocked her head curiously, but the fire weasel didn't notice, the wheels turning in her head. Soon, something clicked and she turned to leave with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Where do you think you're going?" Cerebes demanded.

"Leaving," Prime answered dismissively. The Weedle's scowl deepened.

"Stop her," she ordered to the air. In a blur of motion, a Beedrill moved to block Prime's path, and a pair of Butterfree, including Margarine, closed in on either side of the Quilava, their wings trailing orange powder as they fluttered, threatening to produce a stronger dosage at a moment's notice. Prime growled, but turned back to Cerebes. "You owe me an apology, if nothing else," she said.

Prime raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?" she asked. Cerebes nodded, and Prime shrugged before saying, "Sorry."

"For?" Cerebes prodded.

"I don't know, you told me to!" Prime snapped. The Beedrill jabbed a foreleg stinger at the Quilava's back, prompting a yelp from the fire type. "What the hell was that for?" she demanded of the offending bee.

"Watch your mouth around our queen," the Beedrill hissed. Cerebes' pride swelled at the respectful title. She wasn't officially a queen yet, but it was a special feeling to be recognized as a ruler-to-be by the subjects she'd be ruling over.

"I didn't swear until you jabbed me," Prime growled. Cerebes didn't say anything, but the Beedrill backed off slightly upon catching the Weedle's eye. "I said I'm sorry, what more do you want?"

Cerebes scowled. "I want a sincere apology, demonstrating you know what you're apologizing for," she replied.

"For being rude to you," Prime answered, devoid of emotion. Cerebes frowned, and took a tense breath. She hated such pointless conflicts. They forced her to use an attitude and approach she didn't like, and they reflected badly on her if she lost her temper. All she had wanted from that Quilava was to be treated with respect while she was in her territory, and that simple request had been repeatedly disregarded. It was said that one couldn't demand respect, they had to earn it, but the only way she was familiar with 'earning' respect was to force an opponent into submission in battle.

"You're such an unpleasant person," Cerebes noted coolly. "How is it you feel that you can abuse and insult me when you're seeking favors or information from me or my hive?"

Prime shrugged. "Well, I have better things to do than kiss your feet. You're the one hiding things."

"What I hide is not your concern," Cerebes argued. "You waltzed into my territory and refused to answer my questions, only to demand that I respond to yours? And now you're back, this time as an unwanted intruder, and yet again you demand I consent to obey your whims while you are free to disregard mine? That's not how it works around here."

Prime was silent, and this detail alone spurred Cerebes to take the next action. She gave a jerk of her head, and the guards flanking Prime immediately backed off, watching the Weedle with solemn interest. Prime glanced at the guards from the corner of her eye, not shifting her attention from Cerebes herself.

"I could demand you fight me or some representative of my hive to repay the insult you gave us, but I don't think you're worth it," Cerebes said. "So instead, I insist you leave at once and take this as a parting gift," she nodded to the Beedrill.

In a flash, the bee brandished a stinger forearm and launched a poisonous dart at Prime's neck, the projectile flying so quickly that Cerebes didn't even see the movement. Prime flinched, but the dart seemed to shatter harmlessly without evening touching the Quilava.

"What?" Cerebes demanded. Slowly, a bug-like creature seemed to materialize in front of Prime, a ghostly halo hovering over its head. Cerebes frowned, but her response was cut off by an excited squeal as a second insect darted into sight and began to cuddle with the Shedinja.

"Good job, Phaze! You found Prime and even saved her as a bonus," the Ninjask cooed. Prime smirked slightly, looking towards the two new arrivals with a subtly tender look in her eyes. Cerebes hesitated. This was not a development she had expected. The barb was just going to be a temporary paralysis method to force the Quilava out mingled with a penalty for her rudeness. Now, however, it was becoming grounds for attack, with little to diffuse the situation if it escalated.

The Beedrill looked towards Cerebes, clearly awaiting a command of sorts, but in the time the look was exchanged, the Ninjask became a blur of motion and it slammed into the Beedrill's side with enough speed and force to catapult it backwards. The Beedrill slammed into a tree and slumped to the ground, dazed but alive.

"Leave Prime alone, you meanie!" the Ninjask chirped, sounding way too happy for the occasion. Cerebes winced. There was the escalation.

This was turning out to be one of those days where she wished someone else was in charge.


	6. Unevolved Hive Queen: Cerebes

It was absolute chaos.

Mere seconds after Metria's arrival, she attacked and defeated one of Cerebes' guards, chirping about how it should leave me alone. I always knew there was a reason I appreciated her friendship with me, but now there was a very real danger that the incident would escalate and force us all into a large-scale battle. Not exactly high on my to-do list, but if that was the case, I couldn't afford to back down, either.

Cerebes stared at her fallen Beedrill, already inching away from the forefront of the scene. That was the opening I was waiting for. Dashing forward and kicking off the grass, I propelled myself between the two Butterfree and pivoted, now blocking the Weedle's path. She blinked at me, her body shifting into a surprisingly flexible battle stance. Clearly she wasn't just one to cower behind her living shields.

"Back down," Cerebes ordered, the stinger on her head acquiring a poisonous purple aura to it. I watched her warily, but didn't budge. No way was I letting her order me around like a lackey. She may have just been a Weedle, but I had learned ages ago not to judge an opponent by first impressions or stereotype. Everything from her absurd confidence, the strength of that poisonous aura, and the battle pose was reason to suspect there was more to her than met the eye.

"I will if you do," I retorted. Hell, the only reason I was still in the area was because she insisted on receiving an apology, like a control freak.

"You first," Cerebes insisted. "As you are the invader of our territory, we have the defensive right and that will only cease when the offensive is lifted."

I narrowed my eyes, glancing briefly at the Butterfree and making the assumption that other bug Pokémon were lying in wait. However, when I had tried to back off a little earlier, they had attacked, and I wasn't likely to remove my access to my leverage just to get attacked with impunity. Phaze was an excellent shield, but Metria was priority to her. Not that I was afraid of being attacked, mind, since I was more than battle capable, but why set myself up for that?

"You're the aggressor," I pointed out. From the corner of my eye, I saw that Metria was observing the argument with interest as Phaze hovered nearby.

"No, we're the defenders," Cerebes countered.

"You attacked first," I argued, my flames flaring up to match my mood. Cerebes didn't flinch, but one of the Butterfree did.

"This is going nowhere," Metria chirped, prompting all eyes to turn to her. The Ninjask giggled at the attention, presently orbiting her Shedinja protector. Phaze didn't seem too thrilled about being Metria's axis. I returned my attention to the Weedle before me, Cerebes mirroring my gaze. I growled subtly. I'm not going to just back down. If I backed off for everything the moment something got uncomfortable, I'd never have gotten anything done in my life. If Cerebes wanted to fight and argue, then fine, I'd match her stakes and will to battle. She wouldn't back off, so neither would I. One of us would have to concede in the end.

"You won't go?" Cerebes asked, a clear scowl crossing her features. "Then you leave me-" she interrupted her own sentence and fired towards me with the speed of a missile. The poison-filled barb jabbed into my leg and I yelped, recoiling and clutching the base of my leg tightly with my free paw, backing off hastily. Before the Weedle could strike again, I lowered my mouth to my wound and began to suck at it. It was an emergency anti-venom strategy, but only effective if acted out immediately. Many Pokémon had reduced vulnerability to poison flow, but if I retaliated against Cerebes without attending to the poison first, I'd need to take an antidote, and any poison that slipped into my bloodstream would cost me.

I spat out foul-tasting fluid the moment my tongue caught its taste, squeezing my leg tightly to ensure the poison did not join my circulation system without me verifying its reduction. Cerebes did not give me much time to do this, however, and she was already poised to strike again. The flames on my head intensified until I vented them by sending a wave of fire towards the ground in front of the Weedle. I didn't see a need to toast her now, just make her back off so I could deal with the poison in my leg. However, a gust of air smothered the flames, courtesy of one of the Butterfree.

"Metria, deal with that one," I shouted, pointing a paw towards the Butterfree. Metria tackled the butterfly in a blur of motion, delivering a happy chirp upon doing so. What happened next, I didn't see, because Cerebes had used her tail to catapult herself at me, whatever served as a mouth clamping onto my neck. I shook my head, ignoring the piercing pain of the bite, but she held tight to me, and her angle made her completely out of range of my fire attacks.

With a growl, I rolled over, dragging the Weedle across the ground the best I could. She's either as stubborn as I am, or impossibly resilient, because she clung on by her teeth no matter how hard I tried to dislodge. Seeing few other options, I hurled myself at the nearest tree, angling myself so that I could slam the Weedle against the trunk without risking neck injury. As if on cue, the Weedle's presence vanished and I passed the trunk without any impact. My additional momentum came to bite me when a tree root caught my legs and sent me tumbling over the ground.

Cerebes' obnoxious tittering caught my ear and I turned with a scowl to see her dangling from a tree branch, held by a sticky strand of some sort. Purely out of spite, I launched a small burst of fire towards the strand, melting it and dropping the Weedle to the ground. As I inhaled, a Beedrill lunged at me, swiping its forearm stinger like a sword. The rush of air overhead was the only assurance I had that I had ducked in time, and I rolled forward to dodge a downwards stab from the abdomen stinger.

Holy shit, this was more than I bargained for when I followed the damn bug. Just how many of these fully-evolved bugs did she have at her disposal? The worst part of this situation was that the information I had hoped to find wasn't even here, and Cerebes had indirectly given me an idea. Now if only she had let me leave without being a pain about it.

I sidestepped another jab from the Beedrill, keeping my eye on Cerebes, who was watching impassively. Metria had evidently defeated the Butterfree, because she was humming to herself as Phaze fended off the remaining butterfly Pokémon. While I hadn't exactly planned on involving them in this conflict, I can't deny their usefulness.

The Beedrill attacking me was clearly getting annoyed by my evasiveness, for it backed away and pointed its foreleg stingers at me, launching a cascade of poisonous barb. I exhaled a black cloud of smoke and leapt backwards under the cover of the smokescreen, one of the barbs scraping against my leg, but the rest striking nowhere near me. I looked around, trying to get my bearings before deciding which direction to go to head back towards the city. It wasn't that I couldn't beat these bugs and more that I had no need to. I had pretty much what I wanted from them, and the sooner I could ditch the conflict, the better off I'd be, both in time and health.

A gust of wind blew past me, dissipating my smoke cloud, and the Beedrill lunged at me, jabbing its foreleg stingers at me almost too fast for my eye to follow. It took everything I had to back away before it had closed in enough to deliver another jab, and its speed was incredible. Quilava tend to be speedy Pokémon, but the Beedrill was relentless in its attacks, so relentless I couldn't even afford countering out of fear that I'd impale myself on a stinger before I could strike it.

"Let her go," Cerebes' voice commanded suddenly. The Beedrill immediately ceased its barrage of jabs, leaving to nearly collapse, my breath coming out in pants. How the hell had it done that, completely wearing me down just by jabbing dangerously close to me ad nauseum? How was I supposed to ever beat someone like Rafael if a simple Beedrill could push me to my limits so quickly? It occurred to me that the trick was in literally not giving me a chance to catch my breath between attacks.

"Get out," the Beedrill buzzed, tensed and clearly ready to deliver another jab if I refused. I glared at it, but obediently retreated, making a mental note to train against that strategy in the future. I couldn't afford to let such a weakness cost me against high-caliber quarry.

Metria caught up to me a short time later. "Good thing we found you, huh?" she chirped, orbiting me excitedly. If Phaze was present, she was invisible, but that suited me just fine. I wasn't in the mood to discuss the situation I had been put in. Failure hung in the air like the stench of dead fish, only without the appetizing prelude. Metria wasn't remotely put off by my silence. She hung around me enough to know how I got whenever repelled in some way. Rafael's trail going cold always put me in a foul mood, and very nearly getting beaten by a bunch of bugs was humiliating, no offense intended to my Ninjask comrade.

_"Are you returning to the city?"_ Phaze wondered, appearing to my left. I glanced at her and nodded curtly. _"Do you want us to leave you be?"_

"No, you're fine," I muttered. "I'm just having a bad morning. Stress, I guess."

Phaze didn't say anything, but I got the impression she would have nodded if she was capable of the gesture. Metria seemed to have gotten the message not to talk to me, because she was abruptly quiet as well, the only sound being the buzzing of her wings and the crackling of my flames.

The silence was more irritating than the talking had been. It gave me the impression they were scared of angering me, as if I'd ever dream of taking my temper out on them. Metria was not wrong when she said earlier that I liked her too much. I had known her and Phaze for a decent amount of time and they often accompanied me when I traveled or wasn't on a mission. Really, they were the only Pokémon I permitted that honor to. Anyone else would only be a hindrance, and with opponents like Rafael out there, I couldn't afford risking anyone interfering with my objective.

"You two don't have to be silent," I muttered, seeing the city entrance up ahead. Metria immediately launched into the story of what she and Phaze had done before catching up, including the fact she had preyed upon the Sentret they had noticed earlier. I only half-listened; Metria didn't need feedback, and while she wasn't someone I liked to ignore, it wasn't the most relevant topic. Strangely, I can sometimes focus more when someone's talking to me.

_"Where to, now?"_ Phaze asked, interrupting Metria once we had arrived at the city. I muttered something about getting a drink. I may or may not have been sarcastic.

"Ooh, a bar?" Metria giggled. "Human or Pokémon establishment?"

"What do you think?" I retorted. From the corner of my eye, I saw that Phaze had that look that always reminded me of someone rolling her eyes, even though she was incapable of that gesture, either. Metria blinked, but didn't reflect on my answer. Not that I really needed Metria's guidance to find the establishment. Ecruteak may have been a small town tourist attraction, but it still served its Pokémon clientele rather well.

However, something else was nagging at me to take care of first. Ridley may have found something else for me to go off of, and I should share my thoughts with him. Part of me hoped that I could convince him to let me drop the mission entirely, but somehow I doubted he'd be so accommodating. He seemed to think it was healthy for me to focus on someone other than that infuriating Sneasel.

Well, here goes nothing.


	7. Check In and Contacts

**Not to worry, neither this fic nor my other are in danger of discontinuation, I've just been busy and getting distracted. Pokemon White isn't helping.**

**And then the site had an error and wouldn't let me edit any of my Pokemon fics. If this got posted, I either found a workaround, or it's fixed. I think it's the former.**

**Anyway, enjoy.**

It didn't take me long to backtrack to the museum that had been robbed. By this time, most of the police officers had left, yet Ridley was still there, surveying the building and the area around it. The museum was clearly closed, and no 'customers' were inside. The building's presumed owner sputtered when I walked in, but Ridley turned and made a gesture with his wing, ending the protest before the man could get any words out.

The Skarmory waited until I had walked over to his location before speaking. "How's the work treating you?" he asked. I snorted and he rolled his eyes. "Really, that bad?"

"Don't ask," I grumbled, dimly aware that Metria had followed me inside and was buzzing around, looking at everything on display. "Phaze, don't let her touch stuff," I said to the air. The Shedinja had become invisible again, but she was definitely present.

Ridley chuckled at my latter comment. "So, what's on your mind?"

I grunted, keeping my flames at a low simmer. "What has your team uncovered? Anything to work off of, or is speculation going to be my only ally?"

Ridley shook his head. "Prime, my girl, you really need to focus on the task, rather than your resentment. You should know by now that Rafael loves this effect he has on you. He won't surface until he's sure to rile you up."

I gave the Skarmory a slight glare. I know how Rafael is, but that wasn't what I was talking about and he knew it. He just wanted an excuse to remind me of my case priorities, so that I didn't give up this worthless one to pursue something even more frustratingly pointless. "And your team discovered...?"

"All our leads are flimsy. We have concluded the point of entry was a ventilation duct a hallway down, as it is the only place one could enter and leave undetected without setting off half a dozen security features," Ridley said. "Only the camera in the room itself was in any way sabotaged or manipulated and the method of doing so appears far too crude to have involved a technological mastermind behind it."

I pondered this for a moment. So far, that fit my current lead, but I wasn't going to share my suspicions with Ridley just yet. I trusted him, of course, but I didn't trust anyone else operating with him. Regardless of whether Rafael was involved in anything like this, I didn't want my leads or actions to be relayed to the Sneasel. When I catch him, he'll be completely off-guard.

"Prime, darling, you're zoning out again. I trust you have some sort of lead by now?" the Skarmory's comment jolted me back to full attention. I frowned at him.

"Yeah, I've got a lead...nothing too promising, though. I'm going to check out some contacts, see if they can provide me anything on my thought."

Ridley blinked and smirked. "Any chance of sharing this lead with actual law enforcement? Or with me, for that matter?" He didn't seem remotely surprised when I shook my head. I was keeping this one to myself. The last thing I wanted was to get laughed at. Ridley may not have the type to outright laugh, least of all at me, but it was a secondary reason for not sharing my information. Besides, it could throw his investigation off-course if I was wrong. That was probably why he had called me in the first place.

"Prime, Phaze won't let me touch stuff," Metria complained, buzzing around my head. Ridley stifled a chuckle and shook his head, moving down the corridor leading to where the case had been smashed. Taking that as a definite conclusion to our conversation, I turned and walked outside, a warm feeling fluttering inside my chest. Ridley had confirmed a number of my suspicions, and now I had something more solid to go off of, even if it was vaguer than my usual missions.

Damn it. A sudden realization jolted its way to the forefront of my mind. I had meant to ask Ridley for information about that Weedle. Something about her still seemed so strange, and I had wanted to know if he had any records regarding her or the hive in general. I personally couldn't afford to investigate without a good reason, but surely one as knowledgeable as Ridley could have been able to help.

"Hey, Metria?" I said, glancing up at the orbiting insect.

"Yes?" the Ninjask chirped. I paused, thinking of the best way to pass a message through her. Experience and even this morning had taught me that Metria was notoriously unreliable at keeping track of minor details, even with the far more attentive Phaze. Ridley was sure to ask questions, and that really was more of a reason to have Metria pass my request, but if Metria wasn't able to keep track of the information I wanted her to...

When I didn't immediately respond, Metria tackled me playfully, catching me by surprise and latching onto my shoulder with her claws. "Ow...get off," I grunted, more amused than angry, but nevertheless annoyed.

"What did you want?" Metria prompted, not loosening her grip at all.

"If you leech my energy, so help me-" I began, but recognized the empty threat. Metria rarely leeched off anyone, and even if she did, Phaze would probably blast me through a wall if I retaliated. Good way to force me to learn how to keep my temper. "I want you to ask Ridley something for me."

"Ooh! What?" Metria squealed, releasing me and buzzing around excitedly. I raised an eyebrow slightly, a frown already manifesting. Maybe this wasn't that good of an idea, but the alternative was to take time to backtrack to the museum, find Ridley, and discuss my request face-to-face.

"I want to know what information he may have on a Weedle known as Cerebes, including possible connections and records," I said slowly. "Make it clear that this is not my lead, just a request for information. Okay?"

"Got it!" Metria chirped. "Anything else?"

I shrugged. "Not really. See you later."

"Bye!" Metria responded, and darted back towards the building we had just left. I shook my head. I liked Metria; she was a good friend, very loyal and entertaining. That did not mean she wasn't a pain to manage sometimes, particularly when I was stressed in any way. No matter, if all went well, I could take a break from this assignment.

My destination was a fairly innocuous building, hidden among a nest of other business buildings advertising one thing or another. Without hesitation, I pushed the door open with my head and entered into a semi-dark room. My flames cast a comforting orange glow on the walls and allowed me to ignore the dim light bulbs that dangled from the ceiling. There was only one human in the entire room, and he only nodded in my direction, recognizing me from past visits, however rare they tended to be.

Near the back of the room were a number of Pokémon, many of them what could be considered city scum. Thuggish and rude, many of them weren't worth paying any attention to at all, and the best bet was that would they would simply ignore me while I handled my business. This was an establishment renowned for the sale of special blends of Sitrus and Oran berries, but it was also a hangout for such thuggish Pokémon that few rational beings ever bothered to show up, and that's why it had its appeal to me. It wasn't quite a 'bad bar', or even closely associated with the underworld. If it was, I'd have hit gold years ago. However, I could often count on one or two contacts that I could get information from, such as the owner or some of the patrons.

Rapping the counter with my paw, I drew the attention of the barman, a burly Machoke that looked like a flick of his wrist could send someone through the nearest wall. "Sitrus cocktail," I said dismissively. The barman nodded and brought a glass from under the counter. "I'll be at that booth," I continued, gesturing towards the left wall. Without another word, I walked over to the aforementioned table and sat down, idly reading the vulgar messages carved in the wood.

The Machoke brought me the requested drink and left me alone, as I gazed over at the other patrons, seeking a familiar face. Sometimes I found the person I wanted among the crowd, other times eavesdropping was the best way to go. If necessary, I could call for the bar's owner, but that was usually a last resort. I doubted he'd know and I didn't want to risk being eavesdropped on, as such a scene tended to attract.

"Hey babe," a harsh, gravelly voice spoke from behind me. "Buy you a drink and give you some..._company_?"

"Keel, I recognize your voice," I said, faintly amused in spite of my irritated tone. An odd 'kekeke' laugh sounded from the shadows and the speaker slid into view. I glanced down at the long serpent, whose scales were dark blue, almost black, with a slash of purple near the front. Yellow bumps were dotted along its coils, assisting with the snake's movements, and the tail ended in a red, vicious-looking blade.

The Seviper slid onto the booth on the opposite table and raised its head, giving me a better look at its face. Red fangs jutted from its mouth, matching the color of its eyes, with yellow markings on its forehead. The most unusual aspect of its biology was a half-mask of metal clinging to one side of its face and, while I didn't need to look to know, also along several areas of her body, merging almost completely with her organic form.

"I was going for a sort of..." Keel paused, twirling her tail end as she searched for the word. "Thuggish, arrogant flirt type of voice, one typical of this...establishment, kekeke."

"You sounded like you had a Politoad caught in your throat," I remarked, taking another sip from my drink.

Keel cocked her head to the side, smirking. "You didn't say no."

"Say no to what?" I asked, and then rolled my eyes. "I knew it was you. By all means join me."

"Bit early for a drink, isn't it, Prime, darling?" Keel asked, smirking. I've long since stopped trying to convince her to address me without some manner of pet name attached. As it was, she was perhaps the most useful contact I had, and some embarrassing nickname was the least of my worries thanks to her. "Don't tell me Rafael dodged your net again."

"He always does," I muttered, finishing my drink with a gulp and pushing it to the side. Keel shook her head, failing to hide her very obvious amusement. "It doesn't matter. I'm working on something else, anyway."

"Really?" Even the side of Keel's face primarily sheathed in metal seemed to twist into a playful leer. "Do tell."

I shrugged slightly. "Some minor burglary thing. Nothing to interest you, unless..." I paused, letting the words hang in the air.

"Kekeke," Keel snickered, smiling at me knowingly, "Prime dear, I know you're trying to lure me in. Tell me your suspicions."

I hesitated, but nodded. "Okay, something got into the museum and made off with some sort of medal or something. It's a small crime and I'm not really into it, but I had a flash of inspiration that it may have been caused by a smaller Pokémon, like a Rattata. Maybe a thief renowned for collecting trophies. So far I can't match a name or face with the idea, though."

The Seviper observed me passively. "Have you discussed it with Ridley?"

"No, it's too much of a hunch to be a lead," I grumbled. "I don't want to waste his time."

"Kekeke," Keel snickered again. I noticed from the corner of my eye that the sound was provoking uneasy glances from other patron. It's one of those things I've gotten used to. Keel followed my gaze and smirked widely, waving her tail blade in greeting to the ones looking. She flicked her eyes back to my face. "You're good at what you do, Prime, but you're a bit dense sometimes." She smiled sweetly to cover up the insult and I frowned.

"Know anything?"

The Seviper flicked her tongue tastefully, her eyes glinting. "What made you think of a Rattata?"

"Uh...I heard the term packrat," I admitted. Keel blinked and then snickered, muffling her laughter inefficiently with her tail. I scowled and waited for her hysterics to fade. Maybe I could get another drink by the time she was done. I was just about to gesture to the bartender, who was watching the booth with wry interest, when the Seviper raised her head.

"So clever, but so dense," Keel crooned. "Have you heard of RR?" It wasn't until later that I learned how it was spelled, but she had pronounced it with a strange accent on the letters, making it sound more like a word than anything else.

"Who?"

Keel's grin widened. "RR, she's a Rattata. A bit under the radar, but a _select few_ have the pleasure of working with her." The Seviper flicked her tongue meaningfully. Incredible how expressive she could make every little motion. I frowned slightly, at last making the gesture to the bartender.

"Why would she interest me, Keel?"

Keel shook her head. "She might not. What do you have to lose by meeting with her, though? A jack-of-trades, but never lets details of her business reach the wrong auditory sensor. Even if she means nothing to this case, she may in fact know how to find out who is involved...or maybe slip you information on a larger quarry."

"A larger quarry?" I repeated, feeling an excited warmth flow through my body completely unrelated to the drink I had consumed a few minutes ago. The Machoke walked over and set a fresh glass on the table, clearing away the one I had set aside. I silently drank, waiting until the Machoke had gone away before leaning towards Keel. "And you know where to find her?"

"Details, darling," Keel hissed. "Come with me, I'll lead you right. I always have."

"Always," I echoed, raising the glass in a sarcastic gesture of a toast. Keel's tail lashed out and slashed through the glass, shattering it with a tinkling sound and sending drops of the Sitrus drink over my paw and table, bits of glass cascading onto the floor.

The bartender was not amused.


	8. Meeting with RR

As it so happens, Keel already had a business arrangement of sorts with the Rattata she called 'RR', so we didn't have to go through the messy channel of guessing where she was or arranging a meeting in advance. I knew better than to ask Keel what sort of business she had with the Rattata, because I know she'd never tell me. That was the trouble with the Seviper's tendency to distribute data; she only gave the bare necessities and elaboration was only provided if it was necessary to the immediate situation.

That didn't mean she wasn't an invaluable friend and source of information. She was an infiltrator, practically a mole in the operations of the underworld. Once one got over the bits of metal and machinery ingrained to her body, they could see she wasn't quite as terrifying as the first impression.

Keel also indirectly informed me why she had been in the bar at all. It served as a meeting point for numerous individuals, and she proved this by convincing the barman to let us into the backroom, where private rooms and tables could be found. Keel did not linger in the area, however, and immediately made her way for the door at the far end of the room, leading to the back alley. Outside, I gave her a curious look, which she ignored with a 'kekeke' of amusement. So much for that.

And so I followed the slithering Seviper in silence, my flames casting an eerie orange glow onto the garbage strewn alleyway. My eyes took note of the tall fences, all obstructing the streets beyond the narrow alley. Now I was getting the idea; this alley could only be accessed from the back doors of two buildings, and with the tall fences, it was difficult to access without wings or privileges of some sort.

"Here we are, darling," Keel hissed, using her tail blade to rap three times on the door of a dirty, seemingly abandoned home. The door opened of its own accord, and Keel slithered inside, some of the metal on her body clinking audibly on the doorstep. I followed, checking around the door for some sign of someone controlling it, but found nothing. As I pushed the door closed, it slammed shut, as if closed with excessive force I had not applied.

"What is this place?" I wondered aloud.

"Kekeke. Relax, dear," Keel crooned, gesturing with her tail for me to follow her into a dirty living room of some sort. To my surprise, I found the room occupied by a sharp-eyed rat with purple fur, who was eyeing me with an undeniably suspicious glare.

"You brought company, Keel," the Rattata noted, the tone distinctly effeminate, yet so cold. Keel smirked and slithered onto the couch beside the rat. I came into the room slowly, unsure if I was invited onto the couch or was about to be turned away. Keel whispered something into the rat's ear, and she nodded. With an impatient jerk of her paw, she called me closer and extended a paw. "RR, at your service," she said curtly, even as I accepted the paw shake. Our eyes met and I saw a strange emotion flicker across her face.

"Prime," I replied solemnly. A flash of recognition blazed across the Rattata's face and a smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"What can I do for you, Miss Prime?" RR asked, gesturing to the carpet directly in front of her. I frowned, but took a seat there, holding eye contact as long as possible. The rat's gaze never left me, even when Keel draped casually around her like a serpent around its prey. That's the single most appropriate imagery for the situation.

I paused. Keel was the one who seemed to think she could do anything for me, and while I agreed that meeting with her would probably not hurt, it was a long shot; too long for my liking. I liked to do things swiftly and efficiently, working off clues and records, rather than under-the-table methods like this.

"Have you heard about the robbery last night, involving the Ecruteak museum?" I asked carefully. RR chuckled and Keel smirked. "Hm? What's funny?"

"You're so transparent," RR sneered. "You're here to milk me for information regarding that holdup or burglary or whatever it is, but you don't want to be too forward, in case I close up like a Cloyster." She smirked, showing her impressive front teeth. I took a mental photograph, associating the size and shape with the other mental photograph of the smashed display case.

"It's a matter of politeness," I said, keeping my tone bland.

RR snorted. "So you claim. Don't play games with me. I'm not your prey."

"I never said you were," I answered. "What do you know?"

RR laughed. "What do you have to offer?"

"Excuse me?"

RR shook her head. "Suppose you had to state a price to pay for this information you want. What is that price?"

"I...what?"

RR clicked her tongue. "Are you serious?" she sneered. "Everyone knows this is when you start flashing money to refresh the memory of your contact. Unless they've been paid to keep silent, in which case, you need to outbid someone. What's your price?"

"I'm not going to bribe you," I snapped. RR shook her head.

"Hear that, Keel? She's not going to bribe me," she snickered, but then became deadly serious. "Really, what the hell do you do to get contacts, Prime? Friendship can't possibly be the only thing involved. I'm not even convinced Keel here does you favors on the principle of loyal friendship."

"None of your business," I answered irritably. RR looked thoughtful.

"Can't help you, then. Won't share money, you've got nothing on me, and you won't share any personal details. Eh, I'll draw my own conclusions, but I guess you're just out of luck. Nothing to offer, nothing to buy."

Oh for the love of-! Why does this sort of thing always have to crash down on my head? I didn't even want to take this worthless case and every potential lead I've gotten has led to some horrendously unfair development that does nothing but further my pain. I had better things to be doing than tracking down some damn petty thief after a useless piece of jewelry. Where were the cases and missions involving _real_ criminals, like Rafael or even Crypt? Why was I, Prime, being saddled with this dead-end mission? Oh, I know; it's because Ridley thought it'd be good for my health to focus on something stupid.

"Well, whatever, then," I grunted to RR. "The mystery isn't worth much anyway."

"It might be," RR mused. "But I suppose you're right. Why go after small fry when you could be racking in big bounties..." I ignored the tantalizing comment, until a jingling sound echoed in the room, accompanying a solid thwack of an object hitting the ground. I turned and saw a leather bag lying overturned on the floor, several shining coins spilling from the opening. I stared at it for a minute, and then returned my gaze to RR.

"What is that?" Keel asked, voicing my own thoughts.

"That's...about how much it would cost to outbid the one who paid me for silence," RR answered. "And keep it our little secret, natch. Surely you heard it costs money to make money."

"How much is that?" I asked quietly. No way would any common crook throw so much money at one person, just for them to keep quiet about a small crime. There had to be something bigger involved, some funding from a higher level criminal or something.

RR smiled, the gleam in her eye greedy and hungry. "Let's say...seventeen."

"T.S.," I snapped.

"Count it if you want," RR said dismissively. "But I'm not talking unless I get seventeen. In advance, natch. I want guaranteed funds, not my usual rate. I'm sure you get funding in halves."

"What, should I write you a check?" I narrowed my eyes. "How do I know your info's not useless?"

Keel snickered, and RR grinned before answering, "Because you have no other leads."

"How do you know?" I challenged, my back flames flaring up in annoyance. Why was she so smug? She was a mere Rattata in a large city, and no matter her connections to the underworld, the only way someone could be that smug and not be in danger of being killed was if they had some sort of secret skill to keep them valuable and on-top. Keel said she was a jack-of-all-trades, but just what kind of things would she have to do on a regular basis that some red-fur couldn't do?

RR clicked her tongue. "Stupid girl; you think me nothing more than a common rat, don't you? Hmph, I have no business with someone like you. Keel, show our guest out."

I growled. "Now hold on a minute-"

Keel interrupted my protest by swiftly coiling around me. "Don't press your luck, Prime dear," she hissed, her tongue flicking and brushing along the ear in an eerily tantalizing fashion. I shivered and gave a curt nod in reply. "Come, time for you to go," she said, nudging me firmly with her head. I grunted and walked back towards the door, shooting RR a glare as I left. Keel led me as far as the door before stopping me with her tail.

"What now?" I demanded. "That was just a waste of my-"

"Hush," Keel chided me. "She wouldn't give you anything you can use, anyway, kekeke. You think she'd sell out a major source of income?" She smirked at my indignant expression. "Kekeke...so good at what you do, but oh so dense."

"Shut up."

"As you wish, babe," Keel said, offering me a mock salute with her tail, tapping the blade against her metal cheek. I winced and exited through the door, glancing back at her. "See you later, Prime," Keel said, and then she closed the door. I cursed under my breath. What good did any of that visit do? All I gathered was that RR did know something, or she was trying to bleed some more money into her metaphorical pocket by pretending to sell out an ally. For all I knew, she didn't know a thing.

That brought me all the way back to square one.

With a heavy sigh, I trudged back towards the tavern's back door, only to find it locked. I scowled and looked around. Fine, there had to be another way out of this alleyway, because otherwise Keel was stuck here, too. Maybe I could knock on the door, but there hadn't been anyone standing near the door when Keel and I came out, so I couldn't rely on anything different when trying to go back in.

My eyes lingered on an overturned dumpster and I mentally judged the distance between the dumpster and the fence. That could work.

It took me several minutes to push the dumpster as close to the fence as possible, and then I hopped up, verifying that the metal box would indeed hold my weight. Steeling myself the best I could, I kicked off the box and hurled myself as far as I could at the fence.

I almost didn't make it. Only the front half of my body cleared the fence, and the rest got caught right at the top, forcing the air from my lungs and making me glad I hadn't recently gorged myself. I grunted, my hind legs scratching at the board as I struggled to pull myself over the top. It took a good minute of effort, but at last gravity worked to my advantage and I fell over the top, landing in a pile of cardboard boxes. I groaned, pushing myself up and disentangling myself from the mess of boxes, brushing myself off and looking around.

Great, from one alleyway to another. At least this one seemed more like a typical back alley than some secretive corridor between buildings.

"Excuse me? Can you help me?"

I blinked at the voice and turned around; I then found my face scarcely an inch from a pair of eyes. I hastily retreated a pace, blinking as I got a better look at the other creature. Before me hovered a feminine white creature with ice-like crystals on its head, a body like a kimono and a bright red bow tied around its 'waist'. Its eyes were set further into its face, peering through holes in its white face, almost as if it was wearing a mask. Around its neck, it wore a strange blue-white charm shaped like a snowflake that blended in well with its body.

The hovering creature smiled sadly. "Hello."

"What?" I grunted. Where on earth did this Froslass come from?

The ghost looked over her shoulder. "I think I'm being followed."

"Followed?" I repeated skeptically, nevertheless following her gaze. Regardless of what she said, we were still in a section of the back alleys, and so I didn't find anything out of the ordinary. The Froslass nodded solemnly. I was about to ask for elaboration, but a crash sounded from my left.

_"There she is!"_ a gruff voice shouted and I whirled around, spotting a pair of Pokémon shoving a dumpster out of their path, stalking towards us. A bang from the other end of the alley alerted me to another Pokémon approaching. The Froslass flinched and all but hid behind me. I stared at her. She was a ghost! Surely she could do something like turn invisible or fight back?

Then I noticed one of the Pokémon was a Kadabra, whose eyes were glowing as it approached. It was then that I also noticed a light blue outline around the Froslass' body. Of course! They were nullifying her ghostly abilities. The statement that she was being followed had originally made me think of muggers or a paranoid victim, but now there was little doubt that whoever these Pokémon were, they were more than adequately prepared to engage a ghost Pokémon.

"What is going on here?" I demanded.

One of the Pokemon froze, his eyes widening in shock when he saw me. I knew that look. He knew who I was, and he knew he didn't want to be there. "Guys...problem."

"What?" the Kadabra demanded.

"Isn't that Prime...the one Rafael-"

I didn't hear anything beyond that. My eyes had lit up at the sound of the Sneasel's name. How fortunate for me to stumble upon the Froslass now. I'd have helped her before, but now that these thugs seemed to know Rafael, well...that was just a bonus to protecting her with force and questioning them. I smirked, my flames flaring up. Things were going to get hot around here.


End file.
